The Hidden Struggles of Medical Training: A View of Lifestyle and Eating Behaviours in Palestine- a Cross-Sectional study

Background: Lifestyle choices like exercise, sleep, and food habits are very important for both physical and mental health, especially for medical students who have a lot of coursework to complete. These difficulties are exacerbated by socioeconomic limitations and scarce resources in areas impacted by conflict, such as Palestine. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed lifestyle behaviours among medical students from five Palestinian universities. Data were collected between January and March 2025 using a structured questionnaire that included validated tools: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26). Descriptive statistics and inferential tests (Chi-square, t-tests, ANOVA) were conducted using SPSS v22, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 743 students participated (52.9% females; mean age 20.9 ± 1.8 years). Over half (50.2%) reported low physical activity, while only 19.5% engaged in high activity. Poor sleep quality was prevalent, with an average PSQI score of 6.96 ± 3.29 and mean sleep duration of 6.9 hours. Nearly 45% reported symptoms such as anxiety (34.3%) and insomnia (18.2%). Disordered eating risk was notable, with 38.6% scoring ≥ 20 on the EAT-26. Significant associations were found between lifestyle factors and variables such as gender, employment status, academic year, GPA, and smoking status. Male students reported higher physical activity, whereas poorer sleep quality correlated with lower GPA and part-time employment. Higher BMI and medical conditions were linked to disordered eating risk. Conclusions: Palestinian medical students exhibit concerning patterns of low physical activity, poor sleep, and disordered eating, which may affect their health and academic performance. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted health promotion strategies and supportive environments to foster healthier lifestyles among future healthcare providers in resource-limited and conflict-affected settings.